Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh
State capital city
Clockwise from top left: NC State bell tower, Confederate Monument at the North Carolina State Capitol (now removed), houses in Boylan Heights, houses in Historic Oakwood, statue of Sir Walter Raleigh, skyline of the downtown, Fayetteville Street, and the warehouse district
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  City of Oaks, Raleigh Wood, Oak City
Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina
Raleigh Location within North Carolina Raleigh Location within the United States
Coordinates: 35°51′15″N 78°45′43″W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Wake, Durham
Chartered	December 31, 1794
Named for	Sir Walter Raleigh
Government
• Type	Council–manager
• Body	Raleigh City Council
• Mayor	Mary-Ann Baldwin (D)
Area
• Total	149.6 sq mi (387.5 km2)
• Land	148.5 sq mi (384.7 km2)
• Water	1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)  0.72%
Elevation	331 ft (101 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	467,665
• Rank	41st in the United States 2nd in North Carolina
• Density	3,148.3/sq mi (1,215.6/km2)
• Urban	1,106,646 (US: 43rd)
• Urban density	1,994.6/sq mi (770.1/km2)
• Metro	1,413,982 (US: 42nd)
Demonym	Raleighite
Time zone	UTC–05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC–04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	276XX 27601, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27609, 27610, 27612, 27613, 27614, 27615, 27616, 27617
Area code(s)	919, 984
FIPS code	37-55000
GNIS feature ID	2404590
Major airport	Raleigh–Durham International Airport
Website	raleighnc.gov

Raleigh (/ˈrɔːli/ RALL-lee) is the capital city of North Carolina as well as the county seat of Wake County.It is the second most populated city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. The area is also nicknamed "The Triangle".

Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle area, which includes Durham and Chapel Hill. The "Triangle" nickname began after the 1959 plan and construction of the Research Triangle Park, in Durham and Wake Counties. It is in the middle of the three cities and their universities.

The Research Triangle area makes up the U.S. Census Bureau's Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area (CSA). It had an estimated population of 2,242,324 in 2020.

History

Fayetteville Street during the 1910s. The North Carolina State Capitol can be seen in the background

Raleigh was made in 1770. In 1788, it became North Carolina's state capital. The first state fair happened in 1853 and has continued to happen every year. Raleigh was not hurt by the Civil War. It did not grow much after the Civil War.

In the early 1900s, Raleigh had streetcars, but they got rid of them later. Raleigh got its first TV station in 1956. In 1959, the Research Triangle Park was built. This caused people to move to the area for the jobs. In the late 1900s, Interstate 40 and Interstate 440 (freeways)were built, helping traffic. Since the late 1900s, Raleigh has grown quickly.

November 28, 1988 tornado

See the main article: 1988 Raleigh tornado

On November 28, 1988, Raleigh was hit by a F4 tornado. The tornado formed after a very warm late November day. A line of thunderstorms that was spotted over the Charlotte area during the afternoon hours hit Raleigh just after 1:00 a.m. ET, however the National Weather Service (NWS) issued no tornado or severe thunderstorm watches for the area. They believed the conditions had not support the right for a tornado. There were two fatalities in the city of Raleigh, and four in total.

2011 tornado

On April 16, 2011, an EF3 tornado struck Raleigh, killing 24 people in North Carolina and four in Raleigh.

Geography

Raleigh is in north-central North Carolina. It is in a hilly area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a size of 149.60 square miles (387.5 km²). 148.54 square miles (384.7 km²) is land and 1.07 square miles (2.8 km²) (0.72%) is water. The Neuse River goes through the northeastern part of the city. Most of the city is in Wake County, but a small part of Raleigh is in Durham County.

Cityscape

Raleigh is divided into many areas, and each of them use a Raleigh address and a ZIP code that begins with the numbers 276.

Climate

Raleigh has a mild climate. The summers are hot, with an average high of about 90°F (32°C). The winters are cool, with an average high of about 50°F (10°C). It snows about twice a year with a total of six inches (15 centimeters). Raleigh also gets around 45 inches of rain.

Transportation

Raleigh has a lot of good transportation. Some freeways are Interstate 40, I-440, and I-540. Some highways are U.S. Route 1, 64, and 70, and N.C. highway 50. Raleigh also has a Amtrak station and a big airport.

Other websites

• Official website of Raleigh, NC
• Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
• From Crossroads to Capitol: the Founding and Early History of Raleigh, N.C. Archived 2011-11-17 at the Wayback Machine